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What's a video player? In addition, five platforms to consider

Oct 18, 2022

It's fun to consider now, but during the early days of the internet, the idea of streaming video online seemed about as absurd as VR headsets. As we quickly discovered, there's nothing the internet can't do.

Video streaming on the internet is very important to our daily life. But what exactly is the system that lets us play video to on a computer or mobile device?

Let's take a look at the essential video player, and trace its roots from hardware to software. In addition, we'll look at how you can use different platforms to meet your video-playing requirements.

Understanding web video players

 What exactly is a video player what is it, really?

Before we get too far ahead, let's take a moment to think about and address some fundamental questions regarding the definition of a video player according to definition.

In simple terms, a video player is any program (or hardware) that allows for the playback of video.

The first video players were hardware appliances similar to an VCR or DVD player, which required users to download physical media in order to play back video. Now, in the present era -video players are software which can be used by smartphones, computers, as well as any device that uses the internet.

When you browse online, video players can range from built-in applications like Quicktime, Windows Media Player or VLC as well as web-based alternatives like browsers and Javascript video players that may come with a variety of built-in functions and tools.

 What is the video player to do?

When looking into what type of video player might be the best for your needs the issue really boils back to the question of what you even use a video player for?

If you're trying to find ways to play multiple video formats (like MPEG, MKV, or other) it's possible to use one solution, whereas If you're searching for different applications (like the capability to download videos and play them offline) then you may want to go with a different video player.

Below are four common scenarios for the use of online video players in today's landscape:

For high-quality video playback

Creative professionals expect a certain quality of playback. An online video player that is sluggish could not present your company, products, or services with the best possible light. People and viewers are demanding than ever, which is why an online player which is unable to accommodate high resolution uploads and have a sluggish buffering speed isn't a great idea.

To make your videos downloadable

Another option to consider would consider whether you want your videos to be downloadable. Are you looking for your content to be an online destination for your audience? This option can help empower content creators by permitting downloads of their videos and watching them offline.

There are benefits to creating videos that are downloadable. Users can view your video content at any time without the need for an internet connection, maintaining the same flow of information to your audience. The flip side to the coin, however, you might run into misattribution and your creative work being published and shared without acknowledging credit.

Share company information

Enhance your site's functionality with videos

Embedding a top quality video player on your website is the ideal way to highlight the products and services you offer on landing pages. A dynamic video homepage hero can leave a strong impression of your company's image as well as a demonstration of how to could be an effective tool on product pages.

 Media player vs. video player

Another thing to keep in mind when looking at the various options for video players and questions is what is the difference between a video player and an actual video player. In some conversations, both terms may be used interchangeably However, there's an obvious distinction and it has to do with the way video files are downloaded and is played.

Define media player and. video player

Media players are Media player can be designed the downloading of videos with downloads that you can watch later (i.e. creating playlists , or other offline options). But a video player is a player that may provide this capability, is meant to permit the playback direct (or streaming) of video content.

Now that we've covered some of the basics for the definition of a video player and what considerations you should give for the different types, let's take a look at the top options that are available to content creators and marketers alike.

Be aware that these players for video are split up into two distinct types. We have our app-based video players that require users to download a program and open it using their device or computer We also have the web-based video players that a user can navigate to when browsing on the internet.

Both are wonderful each in their own way, however you'll want to understand your own needs before making your final choice.

1. VLC Player

A few of the more well-known and trusted brands within the world of video players, VLC media player is a free and open-source media player program that functions in two ways: as a player for video as well as a streaming media server.

For a player for desktops, VLC media is a fantastic cross-platform solution that allows download of content. It is compatible with all operating systems and mobile devices such as Android, iOS and iPadOS.

2. RealPlayer

Like VLC Player, RealPlayer is another cross-platform and old-fashioned media player application. It is great to work with various container formats including MP3, MP4, QuickTime and many more. RealPlayer can also be used as an application player available for many operating systems, including Linux, Unix, Palm OS as well as Windows Mobile.

3.

There are plenty of options to change the settings so that you are able to customize each part of your video player, in addition to test different privacy settings and settings. As an free of ads HDR player, Player is among the most efficient and most reliable video players available and supports every major codec for fast transcoding.

4. PlayerFab

PlayerFab is an application for MP4 players. PlayerFab is compatible with Windows Media Dual Stream file formats and can be considered to be one among the most effective 3D media players available on Windows PCs.

5. JW Player

We also offer our own JW Player. It is a simple web-based player for video that has been made to be used for embedding videos, mostly for self-hosted websites.

Final takeaways

There's no shortage of video players on the market and the type of player that you choose to use is dependent on the specific needs of your creative. If you'd like to know more about the web-based video player, you can look up a complete Player API demo right here.